East Spotlight | Falcons make it four straight

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The Newcastle Falcons made it four straight NBL1 East wins and a double triumphant weekend with the 84-70 home victory over the Penrith Panthers with college recruit Trace Evans delivering his best performance to date.

The Falcons might still be too far back to make a playoff run but are finishing the season with some impressive momentum and came into Sunday's clash at Newcastle Basketball Stadium having won three straight including the night before also at home to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

Penrith arrived in bottom place too and the Falcons took charge in the first half to lead by six points at quarter-time, by 14 at the half and then to go on with the job from there with the 14-point victory.

That's four wins in-a-row now for Newcastle as they improve to a 6-10 record with Penrith having lots nine straight to remain in bottom place at 1-14.

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The Falcons are now finishing the season in encouraging form after ending up going 42 per cent from the field to the 35 from the Panthers along with 12/33 from three-point territory to 7/29, and pulling down 19 offensive rebounds to 17.

It's four consecutive wins now for Newcastle with Trace Evans stepping up to deliver 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals on 9/12 shooting in the best of his five-game career so far since coming to the NBL1 out of Seattle Pacific University.

Mandrell Worthy also provided 15 points, three rebounds and two assists with 3/6 three-point shooting while Elias Cato contributed 11 points, four rebounds and three assists, and captain Ryan Beisty 10 points, 16 boards, four assists and two blocked shots.

The Panthers have now lost nine in-a-row following the Sunday defeat on the road with Simun Krpez finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Jett Hickson added 13 points and 10 rebounds, Ben Kearins nine points, three assists and two boards, Brodie Schwarzer nine points and two rebounds, and Angus Ole nine points and three boards.

Newcastle came into the clash with a three-game winning streak including the previous night beating the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while the Panthers had lost eight straight and were making their only appearance of the weekend.

The Falcons kept that momentum rolling into leading 22-16 by the end of the first quarter before then having another 23 points to 15 in the second term on the way to leading 45-31 by half-time.

Mandrell Worthy had 10 points by the break for Newcastle with Trace Evans adding nine points and eight rebounds with the home team shooting 44 per cent from the field to 34 and 6/23 from three-point territory to the 1/14 from the Panthers.

That lead for the Falcons got out to 19 points in the third quarter and then 20 in the fourth before they secured the eventual 14-point victory to make it four consecutive victories even if the playoffs do still look just out of reach.

Newcastle will now try to build some momentum to close the season when they are away to the Inner West Bulls on Saturday with Penrith taking on the Bankstown Bruins on the road also on Saturday before hosting the Albury Wodonga Bandits on Sunday.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 12

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 84 (Evans 20, Worthy 15, Cato 11)

PENRITH PANTHERS 70 (Krpez 24, Hickson 13, Kearins 9, Schwarzer 9, Ole 9)